NEXT FOR KHAN?

Hey Dougie,
Short and sweet this time… Of the top three Junior Welterweights, other than Manny Pacquiao, who do you see Amir Khan facing next?

I say his handlers make the mistake of going for Tim Bradley, simply for him being less likely to KO Khan than Marcos Maidana or Devon Alexander. How do you see those fights going though? (Personally I only see Khan outboxing Maidana, losing to the other two) Cheers. — Kartik

If they fought this year I would view Khan vs. Alexander as an even fight, slightly (VERY slightly) favor him to beat Maidana (who would put more pressure and throw more heat the way of his suspect chin AND midsection than any other fighter), and slightly favor Bradley to beat him.

If they do go straight for a dangerous junior welterweight I think they’ll put Khan in with Maidana because that’s an in-house (Golden Boy Promotions) matchup.

KHAN-BRADLEY

What's up Dougie,
I know everybody wants to see Devon Alexander v. Timothy Bradley, but I want to see Bradley fight Amir Khan. It would be interesting to see what Khan does against Tim. As Tim Hardaway said back in the day, Tim's “got skills,” more skills than Paul Loudinaggi, and he can bang on the inside. What do you think bro? On another note, why doesn't Mayweather just admit, or acknowledge that he is a Golden Boy fighter? It's kinda pathetic. — Miguel, LBC

Aw come on, brotha, don’t hate on Floyd. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Mayweather Promotions will eventually get its promoter’s license. And I’m fairly certain Filthy Rich Records will put out a CD in the near future.

I’m happy to let that fight marinate a little bit as long as Khan and Bradley fight top opposition on the way to their matchup. Bradley-Alexander is an excellent fight, as is Khan-Maidana, Bradley-Maidana, Alexander-Maidana, Khan-Alexander, etc. As long as the winners of those potential matchups fight each other all is good in the boxing world (well, at least in the junior welterweight division).

THREE BLOWOUTS

That was my first time seeing Sergiy Dzinziruk and I have to say I was pretty impressed. I thought he could have been maybe a little more aggressive, but I thought he exhibited fluid boxing ability and excellent footwork. His use of angles and his jab was top notch, even though his challenger wasn't. How do you think he stacks up against Paul Williams, Sergio Martinez and the Miguel Cotto/Yuri Foreman winner?

After watching Nate Campbell follow Victor Ortiz around the ring like a zombie from one of the Resident Evil games, I have decided he was fortunate to bail out against Tim Bradley when he did. I was hoping for a lot more fireworks in this one than we got (I thought it would be the best scrap of the weekend), but I guess it was a nice win for Ortiz against a name opponent. I think the jury is out on Ortiz at this point and even Golden Boy probably realizes he's never going to live up to the hype that surrounded him before he submitted to Maidana, but he can still be a player in the 140 lb game. Has there been any discussion about matching Ortiz and Khan together? I think that would be a natural-two young fighters with impressive offensive arsenals who both happen to be a bit chinny. I think for Khan especially (he has much more upside in my opinion) this would be prudent in the sense that he would finally be taking on another guy who can crack and would present a threat, while at the same time being vulnerable enough for him to take out with his superior range.

Normally I wouldn't be too impressed by someone beating Paulie Wal-nuts and I think everyone needs to remember it wasn't Aaron Pryor he was pounding to submission at MSG, but Khan couldn't have had a better debut in the States. I can't remember anyone hitting Malignaggi with so many clean shots to the head so early in a fight. It became readily apparent that Malignaggi had zero chance of outboxing Khan and given his severe lack power, trying to bring the fight to him would be suicidal. Khan's height and reach simply nullified anything Paulie wanted to do. It was almost like a beggar's version of Hearns-Benitez. Khan dominated Malignaggi so harshly it almost made his losses to Cotto and Hatton seem competitive.

Khan may want to take on Maidana, but I don't think Golden Boy has any intention of throwing another one of their young stars to the wolves again. I will say this though, his combination of speed, size and natural ability/skill/power is going to make him a threat against any 140lber alive and I think you’re going to have to be able to crack to beat him. I think a guy like Timothy Bradley (who I love and consider the top dog in the division) has a nightmare on his hands against Khan. He doesn't punch particularly hard and is going to be giving up a lot of the same physical advantages Malignaggi was. I would still favor Bradley, but I think he's a better match-up for Khan than Maidana. Agree? — Tom G.

I agree that Khan could be a stylistic nightmare for Bradley but I’m not sure that he’s an easier or “better” matchup for the British star than Maidana. The Argentine’s power, relentless pressure, body attack and willingness to wade through bombs makes him dangerous, but don’t forget that Bradley can apply pressure very well (think of the third round vs. Campbell) and he’s a good body puncher. Bradley doesn’t have Maidana’s one-punch power but he can heap fast punches in bunches on Khan (if he can get inside — and I think he’s fast and smart enough to slip the Brit’s jab).

Dzinziruk looked very sharp (I guess he’s got the right nickname, “Razor”) considering he hadn’t fought since late 2008 prior to dominating Daniel Dawson. I wouldn’t count him out against any of the top 154-pound fighters. He would pose a lot problems for Williams, who seems to have trouble with left-handed boxers. He and Martinez would go tit for tat. That would be a chess match, but Dzinziruk might have the edge (again, he’s aptly nicknamed) in technique thanks to his extensive amateur background. I wouldn’t give Cotto much of a shot against the Razor. Foreman’s footwork and in-and-out speed gives him a shot, but I would favor Dzinziruk, who I think would dominate sluggers Alfredo Angulo and James Kirkland.

KING KAHN

That was a spectacular performance by Amir “King” Khan against Paulie “The Magic Mouth” Malignaggi. His left jab served very well for him. How often do you see Paulie getting dominated in his own jabbing game? I didn't really expect Khan to knock Malignaggi out as the New Yorker's a tough one. With or without the knockout that Freddie Roach wanted, I'd say that's a great win. How's that for a U.S. debut? How'd you score the fight before it was stopped by Smoger? I had it 99-91 Khan. Keep up the great work. — Choy, PH

I didn’t bother scoring the fight after the fifth round.

That was the goal of Team Khan and Golden Boy Promotions and I’d say their mission was accomplished.

GOLDEN BOY'S GOLDEN BOYS

Dougie,
Khan was extremely impressive last night. He's one of the few guys in boxing who really has the skills to use his length to control a fight. Other guys in boxing who are tall for their division — like Paul Williams — give up their natural height advantage. Amir fights tall. He has the speed, timing, and discipline to use his length to control the terms of exchange, landing his jab and right before his opponent is in range to land, and then using his feet to negate the opponent's counterattack. He's like a 140-lb Chad Dawson. As such, he'll probably draw some of the same criticisms — he doesn't engage enough, he's on his bicycle, his fights aren't terribly entertaining, his style protects his chin…. etc. But I see him potentially being as dominant at 140 as Chad is at light-heavy.

Tim Bradley is 5'6″, Devon Alexander is 5'7″….. Khan will tower over them. Yes, both guys have some great attributes, but neither is known for being a huge puncher or marching straight through their opponent. Khan uses his length, speed, and timing to beat both the guys fairly easily. Maidana, however, is a big puncher, and he's proven that he can absorb blows from a puncher and keep attacking. That's the profile of a guy who is truly dangerous for Khan. If I was Khan's people, I’d be calling out Bradley and Alexander and avoiding Maidana. How do you think those four match-up against each other in a round robin or tournament?

Watching Victor Ortiz last night, I'm wondering if Maidana beat the “Vicious” out of him. Victor is still talented and skillful enough to win belts and have a good career, but the loss to Maidana seems to have turned him into a tentative and cautious fighter, maybe in the same way that Hector Camacho became safety-minded after fighting Edwin Rosario, a generation ago. Against an aging and blown-up Campbell who presumably didn't have the power to hurt him, I was hoping Ortiz would show some real aggression in the later rounds instead of continuing to move away. Campbell didn't win a single round of the fight, but he made it seem like Victor was reluctant to exchange. Maybe this style is what maximizes Ortiz's chances to win any given fight and preserves him for a long career, but it doesn't deliver the excitement that a guy with his unique talents could be providing. What are your thoughts on Victor's future? Best. — Sugar Sam, Chicago, IL

My thoughts on Ortiz’s future is that it’s very bright. Unlike some of my boxing writer peers and more than a few fans, I didn’t close the book on Ortiz after the Maidana loss. I know he’s young and can bounce back from that kind of setback, but I also realize that it takes time. He’s three fights removed from being battered into submission and he’s starting to look sharp again. The confidence he once had is gradually coming back. I think in time we’ll see the “viciousness” come out in Ortiz — when it’s appropriate. I think boxing a disciplined fight and getting the “W” was the main goal vs. Campbell.

I see the similarities in the talent and style of Khan and Dawson. Hopefully, we’ll see both speed demons in with the best young talent of their respective divisions, starting this year. Actually, Dawson is facing fellow young gun Jean Pascal this summer. I like Dawson as much as you do but I think that’s a fight he can lose.

UNIQUE KATSIDIS

Hey Dougie,
I hope things are well. You have seen way more boxing than me. Have you ever seen a fighter warm up by sparring in the dressing shed before a fight? That is how Michael Katsidis warmed up (with head gear on) for his fight with Kevin Mitchell. It struck me as unusual. What other unique warm up techniques have you witnessed or heard of?

Anyway, it worked for Katsidis. I had Mitchell winning rounds 1 and 2, however, Katsidis showed us what he is all about with a great TKO in round 3. Good for him. Michael is a great ambassador for our sport. He is very fun to watch, he speaks well, shows his opponents and the fans respect, there is no bulls*#t with him (his ring entrance was just him and his trainer, 2 men. That is how it should be), and he seems like a genuinely nice guy. The fight was definitely worth getting up at 5am for.

Unfortunately Michael doesn't receive the recognition he deserves down here in Australia. His brother Stathi (a successful jockey) is more well known down here than Michael. I just hope he is making a good living by fighting and training overseas. He deserves it.

Peace out Doug!

(PS Are you and Michael going to revive the video shows you did last year. I really enjoyed those.) — Choppa B., Sydney, Australia

Thanks for the kind words, Chop. Ring TV will return this summer but it in a different format than the previous shows. It will still be Michael Rosenthal and I pontificating on this great sport but it will be a little less produced, a little more “organic” and the setting will change often (gyms, Club Nokia, Rosenthal’s living room, etc.). I hope you’ll still enjoy them.

As for his pre-fight warm-up routine, I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of anyone else sparring before entering the ring, but I’m sure others have. Hey, whatever works for ya, as long as it’s legal, I say go for it. Mike Tyson occasionally punched holes in his dressing room walls before walking out to the ring. I heard a rumor that a former titleholder out of the Kronk gym in the 1980s (who shall remain nameless) got a bl__job from his girlfriend before at least one of his fights. I have no proof of this. I’m just telling you what I’ve heard from more than a few former regulars of that now-defunct Detroit gym.

AND NOW A WORD FROM KIRK

Whatup big Doug? Not much going on here. Just trying to survive in Arizona, the dumbest state in the Union. You think the people in boxing are clueless? Try dealing with a state full of hump backed morons that don't understand that singling someone out based solely on Mestizo appearance is racist? Or, better yet, try and explain the inherent danger in foregoing someone else's constitutionally guaranteed rights today, which could very well be your own tomorrow. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, “scare a white man, rule the world.” Hell, what does it say about my life when I have to go to a boxing match to have an intellectual conversation?

Arizona is full of MMA fans, who have no idea how to fight, when to fight, or what constitutes “one to many” tattoos on your floozy’s neck flap. It seems like the good old days in my life have always paralleled the good old days in boxing. And, unfortunately, I've been spending more and more time longing for the halcyon days of both. Boxing lives and dies based on the career arc of its best fighter. So, until Juan Manuel Marquez gets another super fight, or some young lion bursts from the thrush to challenge his superiority, we'll be stuck watching Pink Floyd and Peace People Pac fight no hopers. Sigh…….

I suspected, when Hopkins looked like a new man vs. Pavlik, and Slurry Shane looked better than ever vs. Da Tijuana Wrap Packer, that both were juicing. Nobody will ever be able to prove it, but seeing how they've faired recently… especially Slurry Shane…. they juiced. I think there is more empirical evidence that Shane juiced than there is of Margarito loading his wraps. And I'd bet the toilet paper bunched up on my bung hole that Margarito knew his wraps were loaded.

P9ssy Malignaggi is great at talking tough. I sure wish he fought tough. Still, the guy has got a future in gay porn, if he can make his money before he goes bald. I've only seen Tomato Kahn fight a coupla times, and all but one of those fights were against guys like Dmitry Salita. But, I'd bet Gary Shaw’s chin fat that Kahn falls every time someone spits on his chin. You've been in the gym with him. How many times a week does he get dropped? As far as lisping little sissies go, he's got a decent offensive arsenal, and I have to admire his ability to defend world titles vs. harmless metrosexuals. If I lived in a magic world where I only had to defend my title vs. Dmitry Salita, I could've had 3 or 4 successful defenses of my title, before I failed to make weight, got caught trying to steal taint spray from Antwon Echols, was bedridden with herpes boils on my eyeballs, and accidentally impregnated a 50-year-old Filipino prostitute named Equinox…… and then I'd spend the next 20 years fighting Hector Camacho's rejects, and losing most of the time. Still, sounds a lot better than sluicing through life half asleep, listlessly longing for the weekend, spending half my time doing yard work, and the other half of the time acting like I’m doing yard work so I don't have to heed the beck and call of the Nubian princess.

I don't know about you, but I wanna break loose the surly bonds of earth (from “High Flight,” a poem we memorized in 8th grade) and try and live like I did when I was a young man of 40. I've dreaded reaching the point in life when it would take me all night to do what I used to do all night. Hell, I can still do it, but it takes me all night just to give a damn one way or the other. I look at the current crop of fighters and think, “Wow, this guy belongs in MMA,” along with all the other no talent ass clowns. Unless he's some East Coast poser. Then I just get pissed off cuz he's undefeated, but he couldn't stand up to a .500 fighter from the Left Coast, no matter what Teddy Atlas says.

My friends, families, enemies, etc… are all fighters. And we are all living in a blas├®' fog due to non-stop non action in the boxing world. If I have to listen to one more fighter drone on about how great he is while regurgitating the usual pablum of worn out euphemisms I'm gonna blow chunks into my colostomy bag. Seriously. We need a real fighter. Not a big mouth wanna be gangster better suited to musicals than boxing rings. Or a wanna be politician who can’t be bothered to prove that he doesn't do what I used to think he didn't do, and now am sure he does. Or a white heavyweight who won’t go for the kill. Or a black light heavyweight who won’t retire. I don't care what color he is. I don't care what weight class. I could care less who promotes him. I just want to see some kid who trains, acts, talks, and fights like he's the baddest man on the planet. Not for him, or for boxing, but just for me, cuz my life sucks. I'm surrounded by ignorant white men all day long, and I shouldn't be subjected to the same ignorance when it pertains to my sport of choice. Find me a savior my friend. And save me a spot at the bar.

P.S. I haven't proof read this, cuz I don't give a s__t…..and that's the guy I am today. I did run spell check, which I didn't really wanna do. Apparently some of the words I use don't exist in “so-called” dictionaries. But, I digress. Bottom line, if you think my copy is poor, it's simply a reflection of the current state of boxing.

P.S.2 I would've wrote you sooner, but there was nothing to write about because boxing is chalk full of second tier, big mouth, talcum powder on the snootchie loving, butt dart playing, Nancy boys.

P.S.3 I got a lot of luv for u my friend!

Pac and May should negotiate through competition…ie…they are both good athletes. Have them play various sports in order settle points of dispute. Pac is supposedly very good at pool and basketball. Mayweather looks like he can play just about any sport that doesn’t require physical contact. Hell, even the advisors could get in on the act. You could have Ellerbe and Koncz playing kiss ass games, or bobbing for bananas, or painting glory holes with their butt cheeks….. anything that parasites like them are willing to do for a cheeseburger. It would make the negotiation fun to watch, as opposed to listening to multi millionaire cry babies whine cuz they have to give a little bit of blood in order to make 50 million dollars, but they aren't juicing. Honestly, the two things aren’t related at all. They just don’t feel like making a pant load of money… not if it means suffering through a miniscule amount of pain and imaginary weakness. It just isn’t worth it. I may have grown up poor, but that doesn’t mean I'll suffer a minor inconvenience just to win a kings ransom. And who cares if I prove myself innocent of steroid use. Nobody in their right mind would suspect me of doing something like that. God, I’m so sick of making fun of these douche bags, I've actually grown sick of myself. If you skipped the whole email, and just read the last sentence…thank you, don’t go back and read anything else. Peace my friend. — Kirk, Phoenix, AZ

I read the whole thing, my friend. Twice. Both times I alternately laughed out loud and cringed in my desk chair. Good stuff. I saved the best for last in this edition of the Monday Mailbag but you’re so damn raw I feel the need to state the following:

Ahh, there. I feel better. I hope you feel a little bit better after getting that off your chest. Don’t wait so long to write me next time, and hopefully, I’ll see you and Darryl at Marquez-Diaz II in late July.